Get Connected Logo
  • News

    News

    • Audio
    • Computers
    • Gaming
    • GC At Work
    • Hardware
    • Health
    Menu
    • Audio
    • Computers
    • Gaming
    • GC At Work
    • Hardware
    • Health
    • Mobile
    • Photography
    • Smart Home
    • Software
    • Transportation
    Menu
    • Mobile
    • Photography
    • Smart Home
    • Software
    • Transportation
    See More...
    Ring’s Doorbell Pro 2 is Here – Is It Worth the Upgrade?
    Ring’s Doorbell Pro 2 is Here – Is It Worth the Upgrade?
    Mike AgerboFebruary 24, 2021
    Want to listen to TuneIn Radio? What you need to know
    Want to listen to TuneIn Radio? What you need to know
    Ted KritsonisFebruary 22, 2021
    Google Docs: It’s free, but is it worth your time?
    Google Docs: It’s free, but is it worth your time?
    Ted KritsonisFebruary 19, 2021
    How To Recycle Batteries And Help The Planet
    How To Recycle Batteries And Help The Planet
    Stephen FungFebruary 18, 2021
    Featured
    Need more storage on Google Photos? What you need to know
    Need more storage on Google Photos? What you need to know
    Thinking of Buying an EV? The Canadian Rebates are almost gone
    Thinking of Buying an EV? The Canadian Rebates are almost gone
    Want to listen to YouTube Music? Here’s what you need to know
    Want to listen to YouTube Music? Here’s what you need to know
    Wireless Earbud Options
    Wireless Earbud Options
  • Reviews

    Reviews

    • Audio
    • Computers & Tablets
    • GC PIcks
    • Health & Wearables
    • Mobile
    • Smart Home
    Menu
    • Audio
    • Computers & Tablets
    • GC PIcks
    • Health & Wearables
    • Mobile
    • Smart Home
    Want to listen to TuneIn Radio? What you need to know
    Want to listen to TuneIn Radio? What you need to know
    Ted KritsonisFebruary 22, 2021
    Google Docs: It’s free, but is it worth your time?
    Google Docs: It’s free, but is it worth your time?
    Ted KritsonisFebruary 19, 2021
    Speak clearer with better home office microphones
    Speak clearer with better home office microphones
    Ted KritsonisFebruary 11, 2021
    Want to back up on iCloud? What you need to know
    Want to back up on iCloud? What you need to know
    Ted KritsonisFebruary 5, 2021
    Featured
    Take Alexa on the road with Echo Auto
    Take Alexa on the road with Echo Auto
    Want Spotify Premium? Here’s what you need to know
    Want Spotify Premium? Here’s what you need to know
    Making podcasts with the Rødecaster Pro
    Making podcasts with the Rødecaster Pro
    Photosticks: Are They Worth It?
    Photosticks: Are They Worth It?
  • Videos

    Videos

    • Global News Tech Talk
    • GC At Work
    • Video Podcasts
    • TV Show
    Menu
    • Global News Tech Talk
    • GC At Work
    • Video Podcasts
    • TV Show

    How Technology is Reshaping Political Campaigns

    Tech Talk: Improve your home office
    Tech Talk: Improve your home office
    John BiehlerFebruary 18, 2021
    Tech Talk: clean tech gadgets
    Tech Talk: clean tech gadgets
    John BiehlerFebruary 16, 2021
    Tech Talk: Juicing up your high tech gadgets
    Tech Talk: Juicing up your high tech gadgets
    John BiehlerFebruary 10, 2021
    Featured
    The Price of Internet in Canada is Still Too High
    The Price of Internet in Canada is Still Too High
    Want Fries With Your 3D Printed Chicken Nuggets?
    Want Fries With Your 3D Printed Chicken Nuggets?
    Save for Mobile Gadgets Made from Ocean Plastics
    Save for Mobile Gadgets Made from Ocean Plastics
    Alexa Invades Your Car and Are Refurbs a Good Deal?
    Alexa Invades Your Car and Are Refurbs a Good Deal?
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Connect
    • About Us
    • Contact
Youtube
Facebook-f
Twitter
Instagram
Linkedin-in

Logiix Organizer Pro

Tech Talk: Improve your home office

Leviton USB-C Wall Outlet with Power Delivery

Tech Talk: Improve your home office

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

Tech Talk: Improve your home office

MSI Prestige 14 EVO Laptop

Tech Talk: Improve your home office

Samsung Galaxy A71 5G – Accessibility Review

  • Mobile, Reviews
  • Gary Steeves
  • August 18, 2020
  • 11:16 am

One of life’s little challenges, when you’re blind like me, is to find a fully accessible smartphone.  Here, I’m checking out Samsung’s mid-range A71 5G phone.  It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, 6-8 GB RAM, 128 GB internal storage, a 6.7″ Infinity-O Display with Super AMOLED Plus screen (which I am told is beautiful), a 4500 mAh battery and four cameras.  It has expandable memory to store all your great audiobooks and features a handy headphone jack.

Out of the box setup

The author testing the A71 5G

First let’s see if I can set it up right out of the box without help.  I plug in and charge the A71 5G and then power on.  Success.  The phone purrs to life.  Now to launch the voice assistant.  One great thing about Android phones is they let you launch accessibility tools from the very first screen.  Samsung’s screen reading app is called Voice Assistant.  Other Android phones feature Talkback.  These apps read whatever is under your finger and vibrate when you touch something you can tap on.  Other finger movements make navigating, reading and editing accessible.

The good news is that screen reading apps are launched the same way across all Android phones:  you press and hold the up and down volume keys together for about 5 seconds.  Then the phone speaks.  It’ll give you several options as you move your finger around the screen.  When you hear the word “accessibility,” double tap on that spot.  (With Voice Assistant you double tap to activate items rather than the customary single tap.)  On the accessibility page your finger will find menu items for screen reader, visibility enhancements, hearing enhancements, interaction and dexterity, and advanced settings.  Turn on or off what makes the phone easier for you to use, including Voice Assistant.  

To get out of this screen press the back key, which on the Samsung phones is to the right of the home key at the bottom of the screen.

Now the start-up screen voice prompts for a sim card.  My thumbnail found the shared sim and micro SD card tray on the left edge near the top (phone face up).  In the Samsung box, the small ejector tool is like a pin with an eyelet.  Use this to feel around for a tiny hole just beneath the tray.  Insert.  When you feel some resistance, push a little and the tray should pop out. 

The tray feels like it has three slots so I did need to look on Google to find out which one was for the sim card.  The middle one. The sim has a notched corner so it will only fit in one way.  Trial and error.  Once it has snapped into place, slide the tray back in and, presto, your Samsung A71 5G is a functioning phone.

Next, move your finger on the screen and double tap when you hear “Get Started.”.  This will launch the set up instructions.  You’ll be prompted to connect to your Wi-Fi network.  Then you can use Smart Switch, an app which copies what was on your old phone onto the A71 5G.  The directions were clear and the process took about an hour.  Continue following the voice prompts, giving permissions as needed.  You’ll be told when you’re done and the phone is ready to use.

Accessible Android

Android is a very accessible OS, and Samsung has been a leader in accessibility, so it comes as no surprise that the A71 5G turns out to be easy to use.  The user interface (UI) is less bloated than Samsungs of yore.  The Accessibility Menu is in the app drawer, which opens as you slide 2 fingers down from the top of the screen.  Explore this screen for the word “Settings” then double tap to select.  This opens a list which you scroll by sliding two fingers from the bottom to the top of the screen.  When you hear “Accessibility” double tap.  The first item on the next list is “Screen Reader.” Double tap.  Then select “Tutorial,” which helpfully walks you through how to use Voice Assistant.  For instance, to navigate to the next page simply swipe to the left with two fingers.

Unlock Security

When you’re ready to set up security features go to “Settings,” then “Biometrics and Security.”  The first thing I tried from this list is “Face Recognition.”  I was prompted to create a PIN as a failsafe.  Then I was instructed to face the phone without hat or sunglasses.  (Pay attention to how you are holding the phone during this step, because later you will need to hold it the same way to be recognized.)  Using face recognition to unlock my phone has worked pretty well indoors, but outside I’ve had issues with it more often than not, and was glad of the PIN code. 

Image of the fingerprint scanning process from Samsung

I was a little apprehensive about trying the Fingerprint Sensor since it is in-screen and I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to find.  It turns out that it is voice-labelled.  After you put in your PIN, a new screen will open.  Move your finger around the screen until you hear “finger print sensor.”  Double tap and then hold your finger down on that spot.  I had some difficulty with this until I realized that I had to keep lifting my finger off and then putting it down again.  It picks up the fingerprint bit by bit when your finger is not exactly centred on the marker.  The percentage of scan completed was read out loud.  I guess it was fun because I set up several of my fingers.  

But … when I powered off and then tried to unlock the phone with any of my saved fingerprints, my success rate was about one out of 40.  The problem is the fingerprint sensor on the lock screen is not voice labelled so it’s nearly impossible for a blind person to put their fingertip in exactly the right place.  A suggestion to Samsung, and other manufacturers, would be to label this sensor on the lock screen just like it is in the setup screen.  

I also tried setting up the phone to unlock with a simple double finger swipe.  It turns out there is such a thing as too easy.  Because now my phone unlocked in my pocket, opened a myriad of random apps and even furtively entered ten digits on the dial screen.  (I can only imagine the bill if had sneezed and butt-activated the call command!)  Worse, the phone had gone stubbornly silent.  A quick reboot fixed all these issues and the day was saved. 

The Samsung A71 5G is one of the least expensive 5G capable phones in North America and Samsung has done a very good job making it accessible to the visually impaired.  So that’s a five out of five taps from me!

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Share on email
Email
  • accessibility, Reviews, Samsung A71
Gary Steeves

Gary Steeves

Related Stories

Want to listen to TuneIn Radio? What you need to know

February 22, 2021
Audio, Entertainment, Featured, Reviews
The death of radio has been greatly exaggerated if you consider how much of it TuneIn offers through its apps.

Tech Talk: Juicing up your high tech gadgets

February 10, 2021
Global News Tech Talk, Media, Mobile
Mike shares a variety of chargers to power up all your high tech gadgets, whether you’re at home, at the...

Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 12 Pro Max Camera Showdown

February 5, 2021
Mobile, Photography
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G vs the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. An epic camera battle has happened. Let's...
Subscribe for Updates

To ‘GetConnected’ to our newsletter, fill out the details and hit the ‘SUBSCRIBE’ button. We do require you to confirm your email. 

Watch & Listen
  • Global News Tech Talk
  • TV Show
  • Podcast
  • Radio Show
Connect
  • Social Media
  • Contact
  • Events
Company
  • About Us
  • Agency Blink
  • Careers
Youtube
Facebook-f
Twitter
Instagram
Linkedin-in

© 2020 – GetConnected. All rights reserved.